Thin Film Polymer Batteries

Solid polymer lithium-ion batteries are safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries, and can be roll-to-roll processed. This opens doors to new applications ranging from portable electronics (room temperature), to electric vehicles and downhole drilling tools (high temperature). There are challenges associated with the conductivity of the polymer electrolyte and the wetability at the electrode/electrolyte interface. We introduce a graft copolymer electrolyte that has the conductivity of a liquid and the mechanical stability of a solid. We evaluate the performance of these solid polymer electrolyte-based lithium-ion batteries at high temperature, and investigate the physical phenomena at the interface between the electrode nanoparticles and the polymer sidechains.